St. Patrick's Day Food Ideas

In Kanturk, County Cork, Ireland, farmhouse cheesemaker Mary Burns (upper right), is one of the farmers whose cows (those are Mary’s pedigreed Friesians, upper left) produce the extraordinary milk that goes into making Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter and cheeses, lower right. Burns’ Irish Scones (recipe follows), are scrumptious accompanied by Kerrygold butter and an assortment of jams, like the ones pictured on the table set for tea, lower left. Photos top and lower left, courtesy Kerrygold.

The milk produced by the cows raised by Deirdre Cronin (upper right) in County Cork, Ireland, along with the milk from neighboring farms, goes to a local dairy creamery (a cooperative), where it is churned into butter for production under the Kerrygold brand for worldwide shipment. The deep, natural gold color of Kerrygold’s Irish butter, pictured bottom right alongside a much lighter stick of butter produced in this country, is a result of the of the beta-carotene contained in Irish grass and not from any artificial colorings or additives. Cronin’s recipe for colcannon, a dish made with mashed potatoes and cabbage, includes Kerrygold butter and a choice of Kerrygold Dubliner or Kerry Castle cheese.

Originally built in 1728 by Sir Richard Pyne, a retired Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, Ballyvolane is now one of Ireland’s most elegant family-owned hotels. Proprietors Justin and Jenny Green are part of only three families to have made Ballyvolane home. Dinners at Ballyvolane involve a four-course seasonal menu comprised of locally sourced “slow” food.
For a fascinating look at Ballyvolane and its unique history, visit Ballyvolane’s website at www.ballyvolanehouse.ie/history. Photo credits top and bottom left, James Fennell.

Darina Allen, founder of Ireland’s renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School, is the most recognized name in Irish cooking outside of Ireland. Among her many awards is Teacher of the Year from the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP), whose 35,000 worldwide membership includes virtually every culinary profession. For St. Patrick’s Day, Allen shares her recipe for Mummy’s Brown Soda Bread.

If you are looking for some ideas for authentic St. Patrick's Day fare, you've found it here, thanks to the folks at Kerrygold, makers of Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter, the best-selling imported butter in this country. Kerrygold, who also sells a diverse line of 100 percent natural cheeses, has put together a website (www.kerrygoldusa.com) that will transport you directly to Cork County, Ireland and into the lives of generational farmers like Mary Burns and Deirdre Cronin. Besides visiting with the farmers, you will also find yourself roaming the grounds of historical Ballyvolane House (one of Ireland's most historical and elegant family-owned hotels), as well as the environs of Ireland's esteemed Ballymaloe Cookery School. From each of these extraordinary sources, comes authentic Irish recipes, from Irish Scones and Colcannon, to Dubliner Cheese Souffle and Mummy's Brown Soda Bread, a gift from Ballymaloe founder, Darina Allen. While only some of their recipes use cheese, all are connected, in one way or another, with Irish butter. If you have not experienced the magic of Kerrygold's butter, you are going to be astonished at the difference between it and what you normally use. The butter is exceptional not only for its superior quality (it contains more butterfat and less water than regular domestic butters) but for its deep golden color, a result of the milk that comes from Ireland's cows who feed on beta-carotene rich grass and not on growth hormones. "In Ireland we can grow grass like nowhere else in the world. Many of our best foods, like our butter, come from this lush green grass," says Ballymaloe's Allen. I urge you; visit the Kerrygold website, not only for more information about their products, but for the depth and breadth of material on the people and who deeply care about the farming and slow food movement that is happening in their homeland. For more Irish recipes, visit www.kerrygoldusa.com, or to find a store that carries Kerrygold butter and cheeses, go to www.kerrygoldusa.com/where-to-buy on the web.

Sue Ade is a syndicated food writer with broad experience and interest in the culinary arts. She has worked and resided in the Lowcountry of South Carolina since 1985 and may be reached at kitchenade@yahoo.com.

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Sift together flour, cup sugar, baking powder and salt into large bowl. Using fingertips or pastry blender, rub or cut butter into flour mixture to form coarse crumbs. Add raisins. Whisk together milk and 1 egg. Make a well in the flour mixture; pour in milk mixture. Using fork, stir just until soft, moist dough is formed. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface; gently knead 1 or 2 times to incorporate loose pieces of dough.* (Do not over knead.) Pat dough to 1-inch thickness. Using a well-floured 2-inch biscuit cutter or bottom of a glass, cut out about 6 rounds, recombining scraps as necessary. Place rounds on lightly buttered baking sheet. Brush tops with additional beaten egg; sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 14 to 17 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking for more even browning. Serve warm with Irish butter and jam. Makes about 6 servings. *Note: These scones are more muffin-like in texture; dough will be moist and wet, which ensures a tender texture.

Cook potatoes in boiling water about 20 minutes or until very tender; drain well and mash with skins on, adding milk and salt. While potatoes are cooking, melt butter in a large skillet. Add onion; cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very soft. Add cabbage; cook and stir for 5 minutes more or until very soft. Stir cabbage mixture and cheese into hot potatoes and season with pepper. Mound onto serving plates and make a well in the center of each. Pour a little melted butter into each well, if desired. Makes 8 servings.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Mix the flours in a large wide bowl, add the salt and sieved baking soda. Lift the flour up with your fingers to distribute the salt and baking soda. Make a well in the center and pour in all the buttermilk. With your finger stiff and outstretched, stir in a circular movement from the center to the outside of the bowl in ever increasing concentric circles. When you reach the outside of the bowl, seconds later the dough should be made. Sprinkle a little flour on the worktop. Turn the dough out onto the floured worktop. (Fill the bowl with cold water so it will be easy to wash later.) Sprinkle a little flour on your hands. Gently tidy the dough around the edges and transfer to oven tray. Tuck the edges underneath with the inner edge of your hands; gently pat the dough with your fingers into a loaf about 1 -inch thick. Now wash and dry your hands. Cut a deep cross into the bread (this is called 'blessing the bread' and then prick it in the center of the four sections to let the fairies out of the bread). Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes then turn the oven down to 400 degrees for a further 15 minutes. Turn the bread upside down and cook for a further 5 to 10 minutes until cooked (the bottom should sound hollow when tapped). Cool on a wire rack. Makes 1 loaf.